Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

I'm your cook, not your doctor. ~PAULA DEEN

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Monday, March 22, 2010

Watergate salad is a well-loved fruit salad, made up of pistachio pudding with marshmallows, pineapple and Cool Whip and often other add-ins.

Original Watergate Salad

This original Watergate Salad is another one of those classic recipes that dates back to the 70s and that just about every southern cook has in their party file, though like everything else, with some variations. It's still a very common dish at baby showers, bridal showers, and even weddings down south, and I honestly cannot remember a single event that Mama catered where this wasn't expected on the table.

I've never had much of an attraction to green colored foods, and as a young girl I had no idea what was behind this dish. It was years before I had any interest in finding out either, but by that time I had fallen in love. Course these days I love pistachio anything, but back then the thought of it very likely would have elicited a totally different reaction and I would have missed out on this tasty treat.

Apparently known by quite a few names over the years, including Pistachio Pineapple Delight - believed to be the original name of the recipe Kraft used when they introduced their pistachio pudding to the marketplace. A few others have popped up along the way, including Green Stuff, Green Fluff, Pistachio Delight, Pistachio Salad, and Picnic Passion to name a few.

Though nobody has ever been able to verify the story, it is said that a Chicago food writer is the one who assigned the name "Watergate" to this salad, thanks to the political monkey business with the Watergate scandal going on in our country at that time.

I always have a hard time figuring out where this dish belongs. Is it a salad - along the way of say, fruit salad? Or is it really a dessert? Truth is, it is not so sweet that you can get away with having it as a side dish to any meal, but at the same time, it's a perfect light dessert too. Either way, it would be an absolute welcome addition to any holiday menu.

Drain the pineapple, but reserve the juice!! Stir together half of the pineapple juice with the pudding mix until well blended. Gently fold in the Cool Whip and carefully stir in the pineapple, marshmallows, and pecans. Add additional juice only if needed - you want this to be moist but not runny. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or preferably overnight. Scoop into individual clear goblets and garnish with shredded sweet coconut, chopped nuts and/or Maraschino cherries, if desired.

Orange Fluff: Prepare as above, except exchange vanilla pudding for the pistachio, tidbits for the crushed pineapple, drained and add in mandarin oranges, drained. Measure the juices and substitute orange juice in place of the drained juices to dissolve the pudding as above; add 1 teaspoon of orange extract (optional). Nuts may be used or omitted.

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Actually I don't usually include bananas and neither did my mama but I tried to include some variety in this recipe that I know folks have picked up over the years for Watergate Salad. And, that is why this recipe says "optional" on the bananas! :)

This salad reminds me of my grandmother who always made it for holidays. She served it in a bowl very similar to the one in the picture, hers had little feet on it. When she passed I asked for the bowl and think I will serve my WG salad this Thanksgiving in it! Thanks for a sweet memory!

Oh thanks you, my Grandmother made this every Christmas and Thanksgiving, when I was growing up! I have missed it since she passed away, and am so excited to make it for my family. Banana's and coconut might be a good idea too! Thanks again!!

I recall some of my family using fruit cocktail in this recipe too. I'm allergic to pineapple, but I LOVE this recipe made with the canned mandarin oranges. So yummy! I do like a little coconut in mine too.

When I heard this called, WG salad, didn't put my family's Pineapple delight as the same, but after reading all these remarks, realize it is the same good PD that I loved. No pudding was used, loved it.!

The first time I made this my son came up for air after his 2nd or 3rd helping and asked "Mama, how did you learn to make something THIS good?" He didn't know he just gave me a backhanded compliment. But I was sure happy he liked it.

i add all sorts of crap to this. :) i stir in a bar of cream cheese to the pudding mix, add pineapple, mandarin oranges, chopped pears, chopped peaches, chopped apple, a can of fruit salad, and a handful or so of halved grapes. i've also, from time to time, put kiwi, slivered strawberries, coconut, cranberry...this is such a great salad, it'll support just about any fruit.

The recipe I grew up eating that was passed down from my Granny used cottage cheese instead of marshmallows, and no pecans. I never could say watergate salad so I called it "Green Junk" now the entire family call it by that name! Needless to say we have this every Christmas and Thanksgiving!

Hi Christine! I love a similar "salad" called pink fluff that uses cottage cheese! Actually you can pretty much make it any color you want with whatever jello you use, but it has the cottage cheese, pineapple, cool whip, or some people prefer to make it with cream cheese instead. I like the cottage myself. You can also add marshmallows to that one, or leave them out. Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a Merry Christmas!

I JUST MADE UP MY OWN RECIPE, WHICH IS...FRUIT COCKTAIL,CRUSHED PINEAPPLE, JAR OF CHERRIES, COCONUT, PECANS, WALNUTS & PACKAGE OF PEACH GELATIN MIX...LOOKS MUCH PRETTIER & MORE APPETIZING THAN THAT UGLY SEA-SICK GREEN.

Well now Anonymous... I happen to think that the pistachio green color is pretty myself, and since this is my website, I think I'll stick with the classic GREEN Watergate Salad, which is what this recipe post happens to be about.

Apparently you don't know about this very old recipe, one of the most searched out recipes on my website, and since Watergate Salad has stood the test of time in all its green-ness, apparently there are quite a few others who don't find the original pistachio green color as offensive as you do!

Thank you for sharing your recipe also Anonymous, though I'm afraid it really doesn't apply to this post. While what you made is a very nice salad - it's not "Watergate Salad" so I'm not sure how it was relevant here, but I do hope you will visit us here again and maybe enjoy some of our other old classics.

I do hope that the original 'anonymous' was intelligent enough to catch the sudued southern graciousness that was very evident in your reply Ms. Mary. you are a southern lady indeed. I would have said some things a little more colorful. Some people just don't get it.lovlove love your website.

My variation uses sour cream (as does my variation on Ambrosia Salad) instead of Cool Whip. I have never tried it with Cool Whip, but plan to next time I make it to see what I've been missing!

Mary, I agree that the color is a lovely green. Anonymous apparently does not know about this famous salad, and may in fact be new to the whole computer experience, judging from the all-caps reply, which is considered "yelling".

Oh LOL - thanks for tolerating my snarkiness in my reply, but I really do think it's pretty. But then it's the way I always knew it to look too. I bet the sour cream is good - cuts some of the sweet I imagine.

I make this recipe all the time and its identical but I add cream cheese which gives it that extra "kick". There is also a recipe that is similar but its butterscotch pudding (instead of pistachio), and you add chunks of apple...its really tasty!

@Mary/Deep South Dish, I really enjoy your blog. It makes me feel nostalgic seeing all your recipes for the "classics." I miss the picnics/potlucks from when I was a kid where ladies brought yummy salads and other homemade goodies as opposed to now days where people show up with store bought junk i.e. oreos and chips! I can't stand it! lol Have a great Christmas! -Jennifer

Jennifer-I feel exactly like you regarding bought stuff--It just doesn't feel the same...BUT, of course, if there's a lot of bought stuff, and then you bring in some big, beautiful, glorious homemade cake, or pie, or "still warm from the oven" dish---it makes you feel SO PROUD when everyone's rushing to get to "your dessert before it's all gone" or whatever the case may be :) LOL (doesn't it? Nothin makes me feel better/awful than to see my dessert (or dish) completely gone or barely eaten (whichever applies) does anyone else feel like this? Maybe I'm too worried about what other people think, but I think it's more me than them!! -Bridget

Another Jennifer here...I made this salad for Christmas this year, and it's all I want to eat!!! So delicious! I had forgotten Watergate salad even existed (my grandmother made it when I was small). Thanks for reminding me!

Oh, wow! I can't wait to make this. I haven't had Watergate Salad since I visited one of my great-aunts in New Orleans when I was 9 years old! I remember every dish we had that day (all REALLY awesome!), but the WG Salad is most memorable. Thanks for sharing!

Our wonderful family friend, "Granny Bet" makes this every Thanksgiving and Christmas and my mother loves it! She eats it for breakfast the day after. I never knew it was called Watergate Salad, Granny Bet just calls it congealed salad. Thanks for letting me know it has an actual name!

I've eaten a ton of this over the years, but hadn't made it in a long time. After seeing it in your "Easter collection" of recipes, I just had to make it today. Your "Original" version (including the pecans) is the way I've always made it with the exception of adding a little flaked coconut. That "green stuff", as my family calls it, was as good as ever! Thanks for the reminder, and the recipe.

Thanks so much for this recipe. My mom passed away last month and all my cook books are in the states waiting for them to be shipped to my new home. Living in the ME its hard to find taste of home and many things we cant find or I havent found yet. I love this one and used it for all my holiday dishes but over the years we would forget an ingredient or two and spend half the day calling each other to remember what all went into it. I got it now and will share it with the next generation of my family..grandkids

I have been making Watergate Salad since I first had it at my own bridal shower over 30 years ago! My "batch" is actually a double batch and I now use half pineapple tidbits and half crushed... I've never cared for those who put cottage cheese in... just the pudding, pineapple, marshmallows and cool whip. I never used the pineapple juice to mix with the pudding mix though...will do that next time and probably won't have to mix so well to get it all mixed in! I'm always surprised to meet people who have never heard of or had Watergate Salad and also never met anybody who didn't love it when they have it....have passed out many many recipes for this!!

I'm planning to try to make your Watergate salad for someone who is lactose intolerant so I can't use the pudding mix. I found a recipe for a dairy free pistachio pudding. I will let you know how it comes out. Thanks for posting your recipe!

Thanks for posting this recipe. I am going to make it this weekend for someone who is lactose intolerant so I'm substituting the pudding mix for a dairy free pistachio pudding recipe I found online. I'll let you know how it comes out.

Cool Whip has always been traditional since it began as a Kraft recipe and I've never strayed from that. Cool Whip has stabilizers in it, but it is possible that the pudding might help stabilize the whipping cream - not really sure though. It's possible that it could also break down too much and end up a watery mess too. Sorry I can't help much there!

We have been making a variation of this for about 40 years . It's flavor compliments ham and turkey perfectly so Thanksgiving and Easter it is! No nuts or marshmallows in ours and it never had a name so was dubbed "green goop".

Mary, My aunt would always make what I called "Yum Yum Salad." Her dish, I know, had red jello, whipped cream, and I know it may sound bad, mayonnaise. It also had cream cheese, i think and various of fruit and nuts. Any thoughts on what this could be called. It sounds similar to this Watergate...

Mary, I'm going to try this for thanksgiving! Quick question. My Aunt had a seemingly similar dish but i Just can't find the recipe but maybe you have some thoughts.

I know she put red jello, whipped cream, cream cheese (i think), and mayonnaise. Hers also always has a variety of fruit and nuts depending on the year.

Do you have any thoughts on what this could have been called? We always called it Yum Yum Salad. It sounds in the same category as this glorious Watergate... but hoping to find a recipe for my family tradition (although after this thanksgiving with your dish, based on the reviews, we make have to make a change.

I have the cherry coke salad but it has pineapple in it. Could be any number of congealed salads really, there were so many! I do have a couple of vintage (OLD! lol...) jello cookbooks so I'll check those and if I find something that sounds like your yum yum salad, I'll post it here.

@ CCook- my mom made what she called "Apple Salad" that sounds like what you describe. It has whipping cream, red and green jello, marshmallows, apples, Miracle Whip, and nuts. She made it at the holidays every year. Delish. I'll have to find the recipe again. Usually I just wing it and go by memory.

While pregnant with my now 27 year old daughter, there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't crave and have at least a cup of this salad. My mother used to make it when I was a girl and I loved it then. Still do. Made it for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner the other night and it was eaten by only a few. But then again, this IS New England and they don't know much about our Southern Delicacies...

I have been looking for a good Watergate salad recipe to make for Thanksgiving and thanks to your post I found it. I didn't know there would be so many variations. I just wanted to duplicate the yummy green salad I had this summer. I added the cherries and next time I'll try the coconut too. I tried it and I think it tastes wonderful. I'm looking forward to serving it tomorrow. Thanks again, Tanya

The north and the south actually share many foods in common, but I am a Southerner, I live in and grew up in the South, so I speak to foods that are from my experience of living in the South. That is never meant to imply they are only just a Southern thing!

I also think the color is so pretty. My family has made this for years and years and it becomes a tradition to spot the green in the bowl, its expected at big holidays and sometimes just because!!!! We have a massive amount of different dishes being a southern puerto Rican family lol I made this earlier tonight and I have always used the sour cream and whip cream...but I thought why not...I subbed the sour cream for vanilla greek yogurt, sooo good. Didn't have to add a ton of whip to make it sweet and it was so creamy. Just a suggestion. Turned out great. Such a delicious treat, and its so cheap to make. I've never used nuts in mine though.

Wow how very rude..I happen to think the green is so pretty. I know someone who calls it seafoam salad. I made this for thanksgiving and its always good. We have so many dishes at holidays being a puerto rican southern family haha but I decided to make this tonight too just cuz its so yummy and cheap to make...but I have always used the sour cream and cool whip recipe, but I thought why not and subbed sour cream for vanilla greek yogurt.....soooo good. Don't have to add much cool whip either with the sweetness of the yogurt..but other than that I use the traditional pineapple, marshmallow recipe. To many nut allergies so we sometimes use almond.

I don't know why, but some folks seem to find a need to spew out whatever is on the tip of their tongue anymore - I just ignore it. I'm not real big on green foods, but I'm with you on this one. I think it's pretty!

Just having a late night conversation with a total stranger about how i love "congeal". Thats what my local Lubys cafeteria calls it. Was just told that one of my favorite dishes is actually called "watergate salad". Who knew? I didnt and im a southerner. A way, way down southerner.

MARY!!First off-I ABSOLUTELY LOVE your recipes! I have told all my family and friends about your site-nothing I've made so far has been anything less than a-mazing! I've had my eye on this salad for a little while to bring somewhere, and I thought today (Mother's Day) it would be perfect. I am concerned, I accidentally only bought one package of the pudding, and I don't have time to go back to the store-so I'm just gonna wing it and hope for the best (crossing my fingers) I grew up eating this at reunions, etc, and as a kid I just thought it was awesome to get a plop of this (which seemed like dessert) with my meal PLUS I got dessert afterwards too. Guess what I ended up wanting more of for 'dessert' even though it was on the 'meal' table :) BTW, I think it's pretty too! And I have also heard it called 'seafoam salad'...DANG I forgot how much I loved this, I'm so excited to serve this today!!! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!----Bridget :)

P.S.---this is so pretty served in a big crystal dish -man I wish I had one! Now that I "rediscovered" the recipe, I'll need to get one soon--I know I'll be making it a lot! **tip: If any of y'all need to find something like this (if you didn't inherit one-even better), try "Homegoods" or "Tuesday Morning" (if you have those stores in your area, and have never checked them out---omg, you MUST, soon! And be prepared to be there a LONG TIME! Trust me!!! ;) -Bridget

Isn't that the truth?!! I love going into Tuesday Morning and you're right, if you're a browser like me, you can spend the whole day there looking!! I went to a HomeGoods store in Vegas when visiting friends - we don't have one close by here in Mississippi though.

Mary, I have just discovered your blog, while searching for a recipe for 5 cup salad. Used to make it all the time, but couldn't remember what went in it. This got me going! I started checking all your classic recipes, and the Watergate salad was another one I had forgotten about. I saw one reader who said someone she knew called it "seafoam salad". I have also heard it called that, but Watergate is the name I know it by. Thanks for jogging my memory! Now, I have a question for you. Many years ago, I worked in a cafeteria here in Charleston, SC that served a congealed salad that was pink and fluffy. It had crushed pineapple in it, and was nice a thick. It was cut into a square and served on a lettuce leaf. Do you have any idea how this was made?

Hey Mary, As I was growing up, a woman from our church use to make Watergate Salad, and another dish Just like Watergate salad, only Orange, for the church gatherings. Do you have this recipe? Do you know what it's called? I've always called it Orange Water gate salad, but I'm sure that's not what it's called

Hi Bill! Yes, I think what you're looking for is called Orange Fluff. Though there are variations in the recipes you'll find, it's basically an exchange of vanilla pudding for the pistachio, tidbits for the crushed pineapple and adding in mandarin oranges. I suggest using orange juice in place of the drained pineapple juice to dissolve the pudding, but that should do it! The orange version doesn't usually have the nuts, but you could certainly use them if you like!

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